Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google's August 2023 core update should be done soon, if not already by the time you read this email but we saw more volatility on September 5th, as an FYI. Google said you should self-assess your content and remove unhelpful content that way. Most SEOs won't use AI to translate content for search but many will. Google Ads adds customer IDs to email notifications, it is a small but big deal. Google Search Console Insights tips for creating modern-looking content is not an SEO thing.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google August 2023 Core Update Volatility Yesterday - The Final Wave?
We are expecting Google to announce that the Google August 2023 core update has been completed any minute now. But yesterday, I believe we saw another wave of volatility, maybe the final wave of fluctuations before Google calls this update as being done. - Google: Self-Assess Your Content & Remove Unhelpful Content
Marie Haynes asked Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison for more clarity on recovering from a helpful content update by "removing unhelpful content." Danny's response was that you should "self-assess" your content to understand if you believe it will be helpful to visitors. - Poll: Most SEOs Won't Use AI To Translate Sites Into Multiple Languages
A new SEO poll shows that over 60% of SEOs would not use AI, in its current state, to translate their websites into multiple languages. The rest would, which might be a concern. - Google Ads Emails Now Contain Customer ID - PPC Community Rejoices
One of the big complaints from PPC agencies and consultants is that the emails the Google Ads team sends do not contain the campaign or customer information within the email. Well, Google has added, to some emails, the customer ID that the email is referring to. - Google: Search Console Insights Tip For Creating Modern Looking Content Is Not Official
Did you know that the Google Search Console Insights analytics tool offers "tips." Did you know that some of those tips are not SEO or technical in nature? One of those tips says to "create modern looking and visually appealing content." But John Mueller of Google said that tip is just a "general tip." - Golden Deer Head Mantel At Google Office
Here is a photo from the Google Kitchener-Waterloo office of a room that has a deer head mantel (or stag bust of some kind). I think we've seen this one before but we also saw similar ones in Google l
Other Great Search Threads:
- Maybe the biggest site I've seen with a major favicon problem. Yep, Amazon. I don't see any reference to a favicon in the homepage code. Easy fix., Glenn Gabe on X
- Now two weeks into the rollout, you can clearly see some big drops & surges in search visibility, & the impact of those drops/surges on clicks in GSC. Here are a few examples (both GSC data & visibility changes across some domains). I'm, Glenn Gabe on X
- Some more patterns are emerging from the core update. It really seems like Google is rewarding sites that demonstrate true "E" for "Experience." In each of the below sites, there is ample evidence in the content that the author actually experienced wha, Lily Ray on Twitter
- This is not an SEO strategy. (the black bar is all the same domain), Lily Ray on X
- I don't know what the specific plans are, but I'm guessing for the average user the usefulness of these numbers has gone down over the years., John Mueller on X
- Kicking off our 25th bday with a huge thanks to all the people + businesses using our products around the world. Been reflecting on the questions that got us here, and the search for answers that will drive extraordinary progress over, Sundar Pichai on X
- Search results are made for users, not so that site owners can track their ranking easier., John Mueller on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google adds URL Contains targeting functionality to Performance Max
- Meta may remove ads on Facebook and Instagram for subscribers in Europe
- Microsoft Advertising Editor expands audiences to all markets
- How SEOs can deal with unwanted adult-intent traffic
- A guide to effective PPC projections
- How Google SGE will impact your traffic – and 3 SGE recovery case studies
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Settings Variables For GA4 In Google Tag Manager, Simo Ahava's blog
- The Google Tag Template In Google Tag Manager, Simo Ahava's blog
Industry & Business
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai reflects on Google's 25th birthday, Google Blog
- Google wins ruling wiping out $15 mln verdict in US audio patent case, Reuters
- Building for compliance with the Digital Markets Act, Google Blog
- EU lists Alphabet, Amazon, Meta as gatekeepers under new competition law, CNBC
- Google Turns to a Steady Old Hand to Fight Antitrust Charges, New York Times
- In Its First Monopoly Trial of Modern Internet Era, U.S. Sets Sights on Google, New York Times
Links & Content Marketing
- 3 Ways to Harness That "Back to School" Energy And Make More Money, SuccessWorks
- Evergreen Content Explained: 2 Key Ingredients for Success, Ahrefs
Local & Maps
- Hands-On With Volvo's Dual-Screen Apple Maps CarPlay Experience, MacRumors
- Users Hate the New Google Maps: An "Abomination," It Looks "Like the 90s", AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- A new modern look for the Android brand, Google Blog
- App Store launching on visionOS for developers later this year, 9to5Mac
- Twitter's First Full Month as X is Also Its Highest in Mobile Revenue, Appfigures
- We'll All Have AI Assistants Soon, Google AI Cofounder Says, Business Insider
SEO
- 6 Ways to Use ChatGPT for SEO (That Won't Kill Your Rank), WordStream
- 7 SEO Red Flags To Watch Out For When Hiring An SEO Agency, SEOSLY
- How to design a Wix Studio website with SEO in mind, Wix SEO Hub
- Yoast SEO 21.1 brings even more improvements, Yoast
- The power of SEO fundamentals!, SERP's Up SEO Podcast
- Three Things SEOs Need to do Better with their Award Entries, Rank Ranger
PPC
- Audiences in Editor and other product updates, Microsoft Advertising
- Developer token-less experience for Google Ads API, Google Ads Developer Blog
- What are the Benefits of Hiring a PPC Marketing Firm?, PPC Expo
Other Search
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